


I'm Gonna Sleep 'cos you Live in my Day Dreams

by kalika_999



Series: Jack and Brock's misadventures [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Crush, Awkwardness, HYDRA Husbands, Jack Losing His Chill, M/M, Meet-Cute, Minor Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-15 12:03:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9234272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/pseuds/kalika_999
Summary: The night he met the barista named Brock, was the same night Jack realized how much of a mess he could be.





	

All Jack wanted was a cup of coffee; a simple plain cup of coffee, maybe a little cream, maybe some sugar. What he didn’t expect when he strolled into the campus coffee shop was to fall in love like a dumb idiot upon laying his eyes on Brock for the first time working behind the counter.

Of course immediately after that realization, Jack’s trying to remember everything he’s eaten the past week to make sure he’s not suffering from some sort of brain tumor where worms may have nestled into his brain or some shit like that. Once, he saw Bucky eat an egg salad sandwich from a _vending machine_ at the school campus and was planning his eulogy. No one ate the egg salad from the vending machine.

Yet there was just something about Brock that just made Jack lose himself completely. It was late at night and he was cramming for some important tests with Bucky and they decided to take a break. When they walked into the remotely empty coffee shop there was a stream of collective curses and irritated grunts he was sure the guy by the till wouldn't have said or made if it was daytime. Evidently he had missed the jingle of the door chime and the pair of them watched him trying to reach for something at the top shelf of the overhead cabinets. Fingers tried their best to somehow goad the specific package of coffee blend to press into his palm though all he managed to do was nudge it farther away from himself. He cursed again when he realized that was what had happened and stomped off the two step ladder griping to himself as he angrily nudged it away from him with his shoe in contempt.

Jack wasn’t sure what it was exactly, he knows if he asked Bucky his best friend would have pointed out the fact that his butt had been in full view in tight ass jeans but that wasn’t it, well not entirely. There was so much, from his gravity defying black hair, to the stubble..hell even the way he sounded, most likely face screwed up in anger, had gotten to him. Whatever it was exactly, it was taking hold of Jack and not planning to let go anytime soon.

And then when he finally turns around Jack knows there ain’t no going back.

He tries to recall maybe seeing him around the campus or somewhere else and a crush started then but he just can’t recall and nothing comes to mind. That's also when he sees his name 'Brock' on a white plastic tag pinned to his apron but that also doesn't ring any bells. In any case Brock finishes swearing at the coffee packet in a low heated way and turns around to see them standing there in quiet amusement. Well Bucky was, him not so much. 

At first Brock frowns at them but his eyes glance at the redhead coming out from the back and suddenly he’s got a forced smile across his face and he rests his hands on the counter. His eyes, Jack noted, were amazingly beautiful coppery gold and he can’t stop staring at them like a creeper he probably is.

Distracted when the guy asks them what they would like to order and his ears are doing that white noise thing he sees in the movies, he blankly watches Bucky grinning and talking with a point of his finger at the coffee board. Brock nods to him and seems to agree with whatever the hell was ordered, writing his name down on a cup and then those eyes are on him.

“I uh, grenade, med- fuck _grande_ double shoot,” He closed his eyes and winced, foot kicking the counter to get his brain to fucking get this right and not embarrass him. He clenched his jaw, forcing words through teeth, “Caramel. Macchiato. Grande.”

“Jack- ” Bucky broke in but Jack only flashed him a look to leave him alone and the expression from his friend quickly switches to a raised brow and a tired look when he puts two and two together.

Brock on the other hand was between puzzled and amused, his black marker and cup in hand and ready, “Jack then?”

Drawing out a breath, he nods, “Yeah, it’s Mack, fuck I mean- ”

Bucky nudges him with a smirk, “Correct, it’s Jack. We need to get you a name tag buddy.”

He’s going to strangle Barnes when they get out of here. He should just leave now with whatever dignity he has intact, just throw himself out the doors and leave Bucky there. He couldn’t even say his name and just made a damn idiot out of himself. Jack’s entirely sure the only reason he wasn’t laughed at was because of the redhead now behind the counter making their drinks.

Bucky manages to pay for their coffees and drag him to the side of the counter before he manages to make more of an ass out of himself. He can see the tight way Bucky’s holding his face that his friend wants to laugh his ass off and the only reason he’s not is because he knows Jack will just ditch him and leave since Bucky’s not the one holding the car keys.

It’s not until they’re both in the car that Jack realizes he hates caramel. 

 

Trying to prove to himself that he can do this properly, and to stop Bucky from imitating how stupid he looked, they go back the next day. He tries not to get butterflies when Brock recognizes them and gives them an actual genuine smile this time. He’s repeated his order in his head a million times before they got there and once they get to the front he would be prepared and ready. Brock tilts his head up a little when he’s standing there, grabbing a cup and writing Jack’s name out already which short’s his brain out. He messes up his order again and they leave with him buying some vanilla latte concoction. 

 

No one can say Jack isn’t stubborn because he is if he really puts his mind to something. Especially with something as ridiculous as this. He has to prove everyone wrong since a lot of his friends know about this now and get his stupid order out properly. He has no idea what it is about Brock that makes him stupid. Just the second he looks at him and Jack sees the recognition click in he just absolutely loses his shit and his tongue gets twisted. He’s pretty sure Brock’s been laughing his ass off about it for the past two weeks he’s been attempting this venture in failure and as much as Bucky’s been mocking him he’s also been with him all the way, helping him get _something_ out that’s some sort of reasonable order or else he’d still be standing there babbling like a fool. He was never this pathetic around anyone else, _ever_ and even Bucky’s pointed that out to him. It only makes it more important to get this right.

 

Finally a few days later Jack manages to order a double shot Expresso Macchiato without screwing it up and he freezes for a second as he realizes that, Bucky giving him a proud smile, subtly giving him a thumbs up. He was apparently back in God’s graces or something because that was nothing short of a miracle. 

Jack should have known better than to jump for joy, he was sure life enjoyed fucking with him. Brock held out his drink with a wider smile like he was _proud_ of him too and all Jack wanted to do is take his victory and go soak in it.

“Careful, s’hot.”

“I know you’re hot.”

They both freeze and so does Bucky as he’s taking his own drink and everyone’s doing a Mexican standoff with their eyes for a brief moment while Jack swallows the bile trying to rise up in his throat. Brock’s brows are frozen up into his hair with a look Jack’s not sure how to translate, it looks a little like someone punched him in the stomach but also like someone just gave him a brand new car. 

Jack himself feels like he wants to self immolate himself or go die in a hole somewhere because _fuck his life_.

Brock’s lips twitch a little, eyes glinting a little, “What?”

“Yeah! Right right very hot! The..uh coffee I mean,” The voice in his head is fucking laughing its ass off at him because he’s reminding himself again that he’s never been like this around anyone, _ever_. This is so damn ridiculous that even Bucky is looking at him like he’s wondering if his best friend is possessed by a ghost or some shit because _this isn’t him_! 

Jack can only keep rambling, his free hand doing some weird back and forth gesture thing and tilting his head as he’s making a face like he’s clearly in pain but he can’t stop, “Not that you- because you _are_ very hot not unattractive..maybe not someone’s type. I don’t know- maybe someone from another planetbecausetheywouldhavetobefuckingblind- ”

The laughter cuts him off, rich loud and much too perfect in Jack’s ears. Brock’s _beaming_ and it’s the best thing in the whole wide world. His head’s tilted back just a little with a hand pressed at his ribs. He’s enjoying this and way too amused and even if Jack looked like an idiot it’s worth it just to see his reaction. 

Jack knows he’s in love with him. Stupidly and embarrassingly in love with him.

They’re all standing there like idiots, the redhead is glaring at Brock but he takes no notice to it this time, another girl with brown hair moves around all the laughing to give others their orders with no qualms about it. 

When Brock finally quiets down he wipes a tear at the corner of his eye and shakes his head, “Well, thanks I think. Guess I’ll be seein’ you tomorrow Jack.”

Jack flashes a deer in headlights look which seemed to make some other people laugh because his stature and that face is never a good combo to wear together. He lets Bucky lead him out before he does anything else to embarrass himself and he just feels like an idiot for the rest of the day.

He just wants a day to talk to Brock. Just one perfect little day when he could greet him like a normal person and not stumble over his words at all. 

 

The constant bumbling and incessant rambling only makes him feel stupid and paranoid that he’ll blurt out something he really would deem inappropriate and embarrassing. Clint’s told him a few times to just get it out and Steve’s said to do it when he’s ready. Bucky loved to interject that since he’s always been with him at these 'episodes’ and seen it first hand, he’s just advising not to do anything rash and crazy giving him a look like Jack might. It’s really rude honestly. The thing is he’s pretty sure he is ready except no one gave his brain the memo and he comes out looking like a fucking idiot. With where he’s at right now, all he can really do is mope just a tad and attempt to keep his mouth shut when they do go get a coffee. 

It’s not the best plan though and he realizes this only a couple days later that he’s only punishing himself over nothing that’s really that terrible even if it kind of puts his confidence into the toilet. All he wants to do is introduce himself properly and get to know what’s under that smirky little smile and figure out what he’s thinking. It also didn’t help that Brock was hot as fuck. Whatever he was lacking in height he made up for with his muscles and an appearance that he seemed to pride himself over among some other details Jack probably shouldn’t know. At least on that upside he had eye candy to look at while he was acting like a fool.

That’s exactly what gets him in trouble when he’s sitting with Bucky at one of the tables and fingers are snapping at the side of his face.

“Jack.”

Tearing his eyes off Brock bending over to get some boxes that were delivered he turns to glance at a very annoyed looking best friend.

“You’re ogling again.”

Jack turned back to where he was looking, Brock gone into the back room and a frown grows across his face. He can feel judgmental eyes staring at him like Bucky does when he wants to lecture him about shit like that.

“Honestly, go talk to him. It’s been _weeks_ and I can’t stand watching you stare at his ass when we sit here, it’s weird.”

“It’s not that weird and stop giving me that look.”

“Yes, it is that weird. Remember that time you showed me a five minute video of all these moments I was staring at Steve before we got together? I was like I don’t do that and then you and Tony thought it would be great to make a video to show me how pathetic I looked? Remember I was like, ‘wow I look like a creeper’. Now you’re doing it.”

“I’m not that bad and you know it.”

Eyeing him ruefully, Bucky leaned back in his chair as he picked up his mug, “Yeah keep telling yourself that while you’re wishing you could get your hands on that ass.”

Jack wasn’t going to correct him when his friend was right. What else could he do but daydream right now? Not like anything was wrong with fantasizing about the coffee barista getting another type of grind in the back room except all the times he woke up in the middle of the night from them. He groaned to himself and dropped his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. He was pretty sure he was being punished for something he did in a past life.

An elbow caught him in the ribs, “Besides, wet dreams pale in comparison to the real thing, I know. When you can’t speak to them but keep his ass in your mind when you’re getting off it just makes you look like a degenerate.”

“You can stop talking now, thanks.”

He opened an eye to see Bucky leering at him, wiggling his eyebrows because he knew he was right and Jack did too and fuck did he hate when Barnes gloated over being right which was _all the fucking time_. 

Closing his eyes to return to his self loathing, he doesn’t really hear much except Bucky’s thumbs constantly hitting his phone keys and the inane chatter of people sitting around them. That was until he distinctly heard Bucky say Brock’s name in casual greeting and he wished his eyes could stay shut especially when Brock responded just as easily and _way_ too close.

Jack sat up, maybe a little too fast, his chair scraping against the floor and startling some people nearby from whatever they were doing. Brock was tossing a balled up cloth in his hand like a baseball, casually leaning against a table he had been wiping down beside them.

Bucky leaned in like he was ready for a chat and Jack wanted to slink away. The fact that he was right there, so close made Jack’s throat tighten and he was so damn nervous around him he couldn’t believe himself. 

His best friend only grinned cheerfully, putting on his best, “So we always say hi but I never asked, what’re you studying here?”

Shrugging a little he caught the cloth one last time holding a bruised fist up, “Boxin’ scholarship. I’m pretty decent at world history too as long as I don’t get my head knocked ‘round too much.”

He and Bucky broke out in a laugh, while Jack was sweating bullets and opening himself up to panic. He absently looked down at his shirt to make sure he didn’t drop anything on it, tilting his head towards his hand to make sure his hair was smoothed out and not out of place while the pair of them were chatting to each other. 

After a moment warm coppery eyes stare in his direction and whatever nervous butterflies Jack’s feeling just multiply tenfold and a dopey stupid smile appears across his face as Brock gives him a smirk of a smile with a casual nod and a 'Hey.'

Excited and brain dead all at once, Jack decided the least he could do was put a hand out. Shaking hands was good, and it gave him an excuse to touch Brock without being creepy. 

“Hey!” He shouted back way too loud and way too excitedly. He didn’t need the looks from nearby tables to tell him he already fucked up or feel Bucky’s disappointment from across the table. God, he was ready to kill himself.

His heart’s beating so fast in his chest that he wonders if he could give himself a heart attack to get out of the mess he’s making, Brock giving him a small smile that just makes him feel embarrassingly happy and he’s so damn hopeless he just doesn’t understand it. He’s _so good_ at chatting guys or girls up and easily taking them out of a party to have a little bit of a good time no problem but Brock, he was going utterly stupid for him and he had no idea what was going on.

Bucky cleared his throat, shifting his eyes from Jack’s face back to Brock’s, “Anyway, yeah I’m on a scholarship myself for engineering.”

“Yeah?” Brock turns back to his friend, “You must know a friend of mine then, Stark?”

Still struggling to get even a word out, Jack knew it doesn’t really matter because now Brock and Bucky have something in common via a mutual friend and Tony Stark is a _huge_ topic even when he’s not in the room. They start bantering about him and sharing hilarious anecdotes eventually branching off to other interests like he’s not even there. Jack’s pretty sure he could choke on his brownie and the both of them would be so involved with each other they wouldn’t notice him turning blue. 

He might as well not exist right then.

Jack kind of wants to will Bucky away magically and place himself where he was sitting or perhaps his friend could temporarily choke on his brownie and he could talk to Brock. 

No, that’s a terrible idea even for him.

“And what’re you majorin’ in?”

The question tugged Jack back into reality, his green eyes moving to catch Brock locked on him, muscular arms folded over his chest and he felt his pulse jump into his throat tongue tied and feeling heavy.

He felt like he was having an out of body experience watching himself fumble to get an answer out and try not to sound like an utter idiot especially with Brock looking at him like he was genuinely curious about him which only shot a thrill through him. He was going to prove he wasn’t some loser who couldn’t English because for Godssakes-

“English. Majoring. In. Yeah, that’s what it is, majoring in English.”

_Perfect._

Bucky pressed a hand to his face in dismay.

Brock nodded, flashing another smile, “Nice.” 

Was that a genuine nice or a mocking nice? Jack wasn’t sure and before he could even say anything else the redhead that they learned was named Natasha was raising a perfectly sculpted brow in Brock’s direction and he was saying goodbye while speed walking off to work at the front counter again.

All Jack can do is watch after him with an arm propping his head up like some lovesick fool he was, a goofy stupid smile spread across his face.

Bucky finished off his coffee, sighing loudly to get his point across and collect his books together, eventually doing the same to Jack’s shaking his head at his friend, “Rollins. Quit staring at him.”

 

It turned out all Jack had to do was show up alone for once to get Brock to make a move.

A few days after the random interaction with Brock something happened where the weather wasn’t boding well for Bucky. Jack, being the good friend that he is, offered to get him some herbal tea while killing two birds with one stone because he really needed his coffee fix. He wasn’t really thinking entirely about his object of affection being there and he wasn’t really expecting much since he managed to make a shitshow of himself every time the guy was in his vicinity. 

But of course Brock was there and their eyes met and Jack tried to shove away the thought of harps playing and dumb shit like that. Amazingly enough he managed to get his order out with a small bit of grace albeit not without a few stutters over a word or two and a fumble of his loose change going all over the counter. All in all it was better than normal, especially when he saw that little smirk of a smile Brock would always flash at him while he would usually patiently wait for Bucky to reroute Jack’s brain. Considering his best friend wasn’t here today, he gave himself bonus points for helping himself out.

Jack almost didn’t notice the phone number printed out under his name when he grabbed both to-go cups, his eyes spotting it but his brain ceasing to register the importance of it especially with Brock catching his eye one last time and giving him a subtle little wink before he turned to help the next customer.

He’s outside when his brain finally puts two and two together and he realizes Brock scrawled out his number. He stares at it for a good hour while sitting on the couch letting his drink dwindle to some lukewarm temperature as his best friend only shakes his head at him.

“Call him.”

Frowning, Jack puts the cup down on the coffee table but still doesn’t take his eye off it as if the digits will magically disappear if he looks away.

“What did you say to me when I told you to call Steve and admit how you felt?”

Bucky rolled his eyes, falling back into his nest of blankets, “That was different. We already loved each other, it was just hard to decipher it we _loved_ each other and the signs were easy to misinterpret. This though, _this_ is straightforward because you don’t know him. He wants you to call him, to ask him out. It’s loud and clear.” 

Jack agrees with Buck wholeheartedly because it makes complete sense but instead of taking his advice, he inputs the number into his phone and spends the next couple of days staring at it and avoiding the coffee shop altogether.

 

It’s not until they literally crash into each other in the student recreation center after Jack collides into him while Brock was stooped down to fix his shoe that they see each other again.

“Oh, shit. I didn’t see you there!”

Brock pulled himself to his feet, looking around and it’s pretty dead so Jack couldn’t have made a more flimsier excuse but he really didn’t see him, earbuds in and knowing the track like the back of his hand he tended to stare down with his hood pulled over his head.

“S’alright I guess.”

It was then that Jack felt like shit, not even thinking about how Brock may have felt the past couple of days; maybe thinking he read signs wrong or being too forward wondering what exactly he did wrong until they were suddenly here face to face.

He was still staring when Brock shuffled a few seconds for maybe _something_ before he only shrugged and turned to get back to his workout only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. 

Tilting his head towards the side by the bleachers, Jack gave him a hopeful look, “Can we talk?”

He got a wary expression back that he couldn’t blame but Brock nodded, getting better privacy together.

It was now or never Jack supposed.

“I didn’t call you because I wasn’t sure I could believe you had any interest in a guy that can’t even order a simple cup of coffee.”

“Seem fine right now.”

He was right which was weird, just them alone with no Bucky to bounce off of and no authoritative Natasha gesturing for Brock to get back to work, away from even the bustle of customers seemed to completely take his nervousness away. There were maybe a few others on the track and they were all wearing earbuds and not even registering their existence.

“I don’t get it.”

Brock leaned back against the wall, Jack not missing the way eyes roamed over him with a slow drag of a smile crossing his lips, Brock’s knuckle bruised fingers brushing sweaty hair out of his own face, “Maybe it’s better, just us alone.”

Face feeling warm from more than his run Jack chewed over the idea until Brock lightly elbowed him, clearing his throat a little as he produced a handful of small napkins out of his long shorts with little cartoon drawings of Jack’s face, sheepishly pressing them in his hand.

“It was your scar that first got to me. Made me wanna ask but I didn’t. I doodled your face instead, a whole lot actually. Then you know, I kinda got used to your caffeine schedule. When you might come in before the bulk of classes you had in the midweek, or when ya came in late night at the end of the week to study or hang out with friends. Or even when you were in to work on research with someone in the afternoons. If I had work, I’d plan it out so that I was free to be at the front to take your order. I never really took my break until you came in just in case, that and the reason you could always get a blueberry scone with that lemon icing drizzle shit was because I happened to put one aside for you in the event you did show up.” 

“That’s..” Jack looked at the cartoony images of his face.

_Insanely sweet. Adorable._

“..Creepy?” Brock interrupts with his brows raised like he knew it was, sighing and dragging fingers through his gathered hair. “I fuckin’ know how weird that is, I jus thought a guy like you lookin’ like you do fumblin’ over words because he kinda liked me was different. Unless I totally read the situation wrong, I ain’t really the brightest bulb but callin’ me hot and you were always bringin’ your- ”

“I know your schedule like the back of my hand now,” It came tumbling out of Jack’s mouth before he can stop himself, staring hard at Brock while his brain was going into overboard damage control to keep this guy in front of him from thinking he made a mistake, “I know you purposefully pretend to mishear a customer’s name if they’re on the phone when you take their order. I know you secretly love moving along to pop music piping out of the speakers when you think no one’s looking, you blush when someone compliments your hair because it’s really important to you, you can’t stop yourself when you notice someone’s feeling really down and suddenly it just so happens that a customer didn’t pick up their slice of cake or cut of scone and you have to give it away to the first person you see which happens to be said upset person..” 

Jack couldn’t stop himself, mouth going on and on, “You love chocolate _a lot_. Even though you have a boxing scholarship you’re also studying sports medicine and you can’t help but curse in Italian when you’re really pissed. You have a weakness for scarves for some reason, you gotta cater to every service dog you see come in not because you have to do it but because you _want_ to and you have the most amazing ass I’ve ever seen.”

The second the last bit of Jack’s verbal mess fell out of his mouth, his hand came up in a fruitless attempt to stop himself. They both stood there in silence and he was silently counting down the seconds before Brock backed away and went to file a restraining order on him.

“That’s really- ”

“ -Creepy?” Jack shot Brock’s line back at him smiling self deprecatingly.

“ -Intense.” Brock pushed in.

“Yeah, that would be a good one too,” He agrees, “I get pretty intense, think too much and live in my head at times. You might wanna back out of this while you're ahead.”

“Well,” The new way Brock smiles now is downright dangerous with a touch of lewd, “I kinda like them intense.”

He can’t help but return the smile, it was hard not to when the guy that made him choke on his words suddenly gave them back to him.

Jack knew that maybe at an outsider’s standpoint the whole situation seemed a little out of place. There’s bits of romantic and adorable with those cliched movie moments where the two characters officially admit their feelings to one another in their own little way if not right out in plain English but there’s also the fact that they both mutually just admitted that they’re a little on the stalkish side about each other and kind of lost track of boundaries over it.

Still, Brock’s still standing there and staring away at him and Jack shifts himself in a step closer, leaning against the wall just next to him. This is all really surprising in the best of ways and it’s not until Brock takes his hand slowly so he has time to pull away that everything seems to really pull together in a neat little way.

Giving Brock’s hand a squeeze he knows it’s good if not great that they’re on the same page, it is really only his opinion that matters and Brock’s still eyeing him in a way that makes his heart skip beats.

Jack’s lost all ability to lose his words but here he doesn’t even need to say a thing, tugging Brock in to kiss him like he’s wanted to since the day he laid eyes on him.

And it's good. It's really good. It's amazing.

And he knows right then that together they’re going to be perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> I was writing a short 2k Brock coffee shop after this as a "coffee collection" diddy taking place in a different AU for a Brock POV, but instead I wrote at least 7k of another Jack POV coffeeshop AU. I don't know what's wrong with me but keep your eyes out for that pretty soon if you liked this lol.
> 
> Title from Glass Animals (Take a Slice).


End file.
